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The day that the boys came back had been long and dreary. Talisia had paced their encampment with worry after waking up in the earlier hours to find that absolutely no one was home. Not even Nerio who was constantly with his books nor was Eresin nearby when she wanted to offer him breakfast. Kian also was not around to tease her - something that she had been expecting since his return from Sauti. It was strangely...quiet.

But in a way she wished that her desire to see them hadn't come through because with their appearances came the bad news. Nerio had passed and gone on. A bad fight had happened leaving Eresin and Kian with injuries that Talisia had quickly attended to. And now only a couple of days later, Talisia had come around to check on Eresin. Ever since the news it had been him who she worried about the most after all.

Honestly, it broke her heart to see him so down. Biting the inside of her cheek against the feelings of dread that twisted up on the inside, Talisia began her march towards the waterfall where she guessed Eresin to be once more...

Walking slowly Talisia bit the inside of her cheek. How did she even approach this? The last person she had lost since Nerio was her own father and those memories felt like a bad dream. It had also been no where near as drastic as the death of Nerio had been. The thought made her stomach coil. What did she do?

Still she couldn't ignore a friend in need. Taking a few more steps forward Talisia walked through the waterfall to where she knew the cavern to be, "Eresin?" The hybrid called out with a soft voice, "Are...are you here?"

Not hearing a reply Talisia decided to move forward anyway. If Eresin was here then the last thing she wanted to do was turn her back on him - though in a sense that was what she had done the last time they had been here alone together. Her cheeks flushed, both from a mix of shame and worry over the mage, Talisia continued forward until she spotted him there in the darkness.

"Eresin..." Her voice was soft as she approached, "Why are you hiding here?"

Talisia frowned as she paused and listened to him. He couldn't protect? Sighing, the hybrid strode forward and came at Eresin full force. "Stop it." She replied with a sharp tone, "Stop it, please. You didn't know what was going to happen none of you did." Slowly she reached out with a hand and rested it on the mage's shoulders, "Nerio did what he had to and I'm sure that he wouldn't blame you for what happened."

The girl shook her head, "No one...could have been prepared enough for that." While she didn't know the full details the vague pieces Kian and Eresin had told her were fitting together in a way. "That's the scary thing about battles - we can't always win." She murmured before thinking a bit more and protesting, "And! I never asked to be protected in the first place. You shouldn't have to feel obligated to take all of that on your own."

Was he just ignoring her? Talisia's gaze softened as she noticed the crystal rose that he created for his uncle...a shrine? The realization made her expression shift. So that was what he had been doing here considering that Nerio's body had never been recovered. The thought made her heart twist in her chest before she reached out, "Eresin."

She refused to be ignored, especially in this situation!

Her grasp tightened on his arm as she attempted to pull him to a stop, "Hey, hey Eresin!" She yelled firmly as she planted her feet and dug her fingers into his arm. She knew he was hurt and in mourning, but he couldn't do this to her!

"Let you go?" Talisia raised a eyebrow, "If I let you go right now you'll just walk yourself off a ravine." The hybrid shook her head firmly, "Look I know that you're mourning and regretting a lot of this, but you can't just disappear like this. Okay?" Her gaze was pleading as she moved to try and stand in front of him, "Look at me, Eresin, truly. Talk to me, do something! I don't even care if you get angry at me right now. I - I hate seeing you like this, so please?"

She just wanted to hug him, but honestly she was so afraid as well. What were they going to do now? With Nerio gone nothing was holding them together and both of the mages seemed intent on just fading away...the thought made Talisia's gaze burn. She couldn't let that happen!

"Do you really think training is going to solve any of this?" Talisia replied with a furrowed brow, "Why do you have to carry all this burden alone?" Her heart was breaking as she noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks and the hybrid couldn't help but to reach out and rub a finger along his cheek, "Eresin..."

The girl shook her head, "I'm sure it's not like that! You can't blame yourself - things just escalated and...Nerio stepped in to do something heroic." Her voice trembled because for the first time she truly realized that Eresin may leave her. That realization brought fear and understanding - she truly didn't want him to leave and she was afraid of never seeing him again, "Why do you have to believe that you'll fail me?" She asked trying to stand firm despite the burning sensation in her own eyes, "Why do I need to be protected? Why can't we just work together to protect each other, Eresin?"

"Eresin..." Talisia just stared at him as he continued speaking, "But why? Why is it that you have to leave in order to get stronger?" She found her heart racing as her gaze slowly studied his face. So not only was he torn up from losing Nerio,but he was afraid that she would be next? Did he think he was fated to follow his uncle's fate and lose his love as well? I never even agreed to loving him dammit and he's going on like... But it was true though - her flushed cheeks and racing heart attested to that.

She did love him, very much so.

Not that she had told him yet! Talisia found her own gaze flooding with tears as she slowly lowered her hand from his arm, "But how long until you're this skilled mage that you wish to become? Am I supposed to wait for you forever?" She asked quietly before looking back up at him, "I finally...I mean...I don't want to lose you, but you are so determined to leave? Even if I asked you to stay..." She trailed off and stared at the ground quietly.